Pleas in Mississippi Case Show Some Progress – And That Much Work Remains Ahead of Us

I was in court with Barbara Anderson Young this week when three of the white teens who beat, ran over and killed her brother last June in a Mississippi parking lot pleaded guilty to murder and hate crimes. Those three now face life sentences in prison.

I hope that the pleas will provide at least some small measure of comfort to the family of James Craig Anderson, who was murdered only because he was black.

But what I’ll remember most from these proceedings, though they centered on a horrible crime, is the grace that Mr. Anderson’s oldest sister displayed when she addressed the court.

Mrs. Young thanked the Hinds County District Attorney and the Justice Department – as do we at the Southern Poverty Law Center – for their vigorous prosecution of this case. The teens are among the first defendants to be charged under the federal hate-crime statute signed by President Obama in 2009, and the first to be prosecuted in a fatal attack in the South.

Mrs. Young thanked us as well. Our wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the Anderson family will continue at the same time that authorities consider criminal charges against additional persons.

The case began in the early morning of June 26, 2011, when Deryl Dedmon Jr. and six other white teens drove to Jackson to, as one of them put it, “go f--k with some n----rs.” The teens attacked Mr. Anderson in a motel parking lot.

As Mr. Anderson was being beaten, one of the teens shouted “white power.” As Mr. Anderson staggered at the edge of the lot, Mr. Dedmon drove his Ford F-250 truck over a curb, struck Mr. Anderson and then ran over him. Mr. Dedmon told the others that he “ran that n----r over.”

Mrs. Young wants the full story told, and a civil trial against Mr. Dedmon and others may be the public’s only opportunity to hear a full accounting of what happened that morning. Her brother deserves nothing less.

All of us in court were witness to the Anderson family’s pain, as Mrs. Young talked about losing her brother – a man with a wonderful sense of humor and who loved to sing in his church choir – to such a hateful crime.

In spite of their loss, the Anderson family told prosecutors not to seek the death penalty for anyone in this case. There’s a lesson of compassion there for all of us.

Mrs. Young also reminded us all of the work still ahead. “We, the Anderson family, are praying for racial conciliation, not just in Mississippi but all over this land and country,” she told the court.

Indeed, hate crimes don’t happen only in Mississippi or other states in the Deep South. They’re occurring with alarming frequency all across the United States, including most recently, it appears, in Sanford, Fla.

That’s why we’ll continue to provide classroom teachers across the country with the tools they need to improve intergroup relations and reduce the prejudice that all too often ends in heartbreaking tragedies.

It’s work that we’ll do in the name of James Anderson and the countless other victims of racial intolerance.

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Susan Panger on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 20:44.

There is so much vitriol and slander filling the dominant discourse of our nation it is no wonder that those who live on the fringe of sanity (Gabrielle Gifford's attacker) or have the least self restraint, (James', and Trayvon's attackers) lose control and act out. These less evolved persons become the stooges who enact the slosh that spews from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coultier and Don Isthmus over the public airwaves and the even more sinister language spread by hate groups themselves.
There was a time when community mores, and general expectations held more of these weaker folks at bay. As easily riled as they are by hate they are moved by love.
Every one of us can counter this sad circumstance by speaking from common decency, a generosity of heart, and a stand that values life, regardless of our differences. These are the voices that we must push back into our nation's conversation.

Janet Pietrovito on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 20:59.

I am white and have lived a relatively privileged life. But I am appalled when someone who is racist takes it upon themselves to act out and commit an atrocity against another human being. In the D.C. area, recently there was a killing of a teenager, Trayvon, who was wearing a hoodie, who was killed by a "neighborhood watch" person. This person "alleged" that he was up to no good. In fact, he was coming home from the store. Listen people, I have sons who sometimes wear hoodies and also sometimes, act very stupidly. If someone shoots at them and ends their life, you better believe I will not rest until they find justice.

Patricia Ecklund-Ruch on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 23:20.

It is my opinion that many, many people in the South are extremely racist. I thank God that I do not know any people who have such hatred in their hearts because of the color of a person's skin.
I will light a candle. I will pray for the Anderson's family. I will pray that those boys who are going to prison for this hate crime will NEVER receive a parole and will spend ALL of their lives behind bars to contemplate why they are there.

Gaylloyd Sisson on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 00:54.

I'm happy the SPLC exist. Years ago Metsker, a grand dragon of the KKK in Oceanside, California harrass me. It was shortly after I had dismissed my student. Later, with the help of SPLC he was put in prison for the death of a Samali man in Portland Oregon. There are other cases like that one that SPLC defended the rights of others.
I am glad they are still bring justice and look forward to the day when everyone respect the diversity of the human race. It will be then the SPLC's services will be moot.
Sincerely,
Gaylloyd

Mariandl Newbold on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 01:19.

Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of this family and all Americans. This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated in our society.

Donna Chaney on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 02:08.

Some people need to be reminded about the civil war and why it was fought. Prejudice is very much alive today! There are people that really need to live with people of the opposite race just so they can see that they are actually the same. Can you actually believe that in this day and age, there are people who honestly believe that blacks are animals and not like themselves? I am talking about people in all levels of intelligence and wealth.

Fr. Russ Carmichael on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 05:12.

There are no words for this senseless actions of hate. There is only justice that needs to be rendered...

audrey speights on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 10:57.

It is frightening that hate atrocities happen not only in the Deep South but throughout the USA. Thankfully the Southern Law Poverty Center continues to addreess these crimes and bring justice to victims and their families.
I applaud Ms. Young for her compassion -- she shoed great strength.

Laurie Mitchell on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 11:38.

My comments are rhetorical. Do any of us think we will live long enough to see the conciousness of society raised to a level of total understanding and acceptance of each other regardless of age, gender, and race? We can only hope and pray that this day will come. Waging war against the ignorant individuals who perpetrate these crimes does not change them, only hardens their hearts. They will have to come back to live another life, perhaps as the person they have treated wrongly in this life. The Law of Karma is a strict law, of either good or evil.

Fred Jackson on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 14:32.

Bravo to the SPLC. Your dedication to the cause of civil rights, magnified by the effectiveness of your programs, should be a beacon to every American. As long as there are those in our
country who are willing to discriminate and commit horrendous acts in the name of racial and/or religious superiority, there will be a desperate need for people like Morris Deeds and the SPLC. I am proud to be a supporter. Well done.

Larry Millender on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 15:24.

Thank you and your organization for the fine work that you do

Larry Millender on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 15:26.

Thanks for the fine work you do on behalf of civil rights.
Larry Millender

Carol Walter on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 15:10.

........and now young Trayvon Martin. I, and others will light a candle in his honor today,... ..but we need to raise the level of consciousness to prevent vigilante ( self appointed at that) formations and actions of violence that tragically culminate in the torture and murder of others. Each happening reduces our level of humanity.....the very core of our respect and caring for one another must be paid attention to....the need for certain "State Rights' to be changed is imperative. Also, our legal enforcers are sometimes dangerous ....at their best, inept.. and at their worst , poorly trained under appallingly bad management. We must do more than speak out.

Suzann Rowe on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 21:31.

I still worry that my grandchildren Amanda 13yrs. and Maxwell 7 yrs. old could be victims of racial prejudice and./or hate crimes. They are the children of my daughter who is White and my son-in-law who is Black. They live in a mixed neighborhood in Southern California...a higher end community of beautiful homes and environment, good schools. Wanting to live away from the "urban" issues and old attitudes. They both worked and went to college and then when they graduated they married. He is a Police Officer and she is a Marketing Manager for Mitsubishi Motors.
I pray that my family will be safe from the ignorance that drives hate crimes.
Thank you for all the dedicated works your organization does to defend the rights of all peoples.

Nick on Sat, 05/05/2012 - 13:47.

Reading of this fine man being killed literally brings tears to my eyes. Worse, I read NOTHING of this in the "Liberal" mainstream media. If I were not "websurfing" to occupy time, I would have never known of this.
By the accounts here, Mr Anderson was a very fine gentleman, who had God in his life. A Christian. And yet the official spokespeolpe of Jesus (the 'Right' wing) NEVER speak of these tragedies and indeed their spokespeople are those who are still stirring up the hate that left this man dead.
I too am a white person. But I cannot, for the life of me, understand where these people get off.
I (somewhat )understood my (now deceased) grandparents racial biases, as thet was "the way they were back then". But we are supposed to be past this now.
I have a neighbor in WA State who thinks it is OK to fly the Confederate flag. I want to burn it in his yard every time I pass the house.
To the family of Mr. Anderson, please know that we shed tears all across this Nation for your loss. Actualy, it is OUR loss.
You are not alone!
THANK YOU Mr. Dees and SPLC for the fine work you do. We still need you!